Cardinals add Jonathan Broxton for Malik Collymore

In what amounts to a very minor move in comparison to the rest of the craziness the trade deadline has brought us, the Cardinals and Brewers matched up in a deal to send right handed reliever Jonathan Broxton to St. Louis along with $3M with $2M of that contingent upon the Cardinals turning down the 2016 club option Broxton's contract. The Brewers are getting LF Malik Collymore in return, a 20 year old former second baseman who has been plying his trade in the advanced rookie (R+) Appalachian League.

With Broxton having over nine years of service time, lets put the prospect under the microscope and see what Milwaukee is getting as they continue their rebuild.

LF Malik Collymore, 20 years old

Ht/Wt - 5'11, 190 LB Acquired - 2013 Draft, 10th Rd

Ontario native Malik Collymore was brought into the Cardinals organization as their 10th round selection in the 2013 amateur draft. Collymore struggled in his pro debut as a very raw 18 year old in the Gulf Coast League (GCL) with zero plate discipline, resulting in a .228/.267/.333 triple slash with only three walks and 23 K's in 60 plate appearances. By 2014 he had turned into a completely different animal. Despite repeating the GCL, he was still just 19 years old and was the starting second baseman.

Collymore tore up the complex league, hitting .333/.403/.480 over 201 trips to the plate. His plate discipline improved dramatically, drawing 18 walks while striking out 43 times. That was a 17% drop in strike outs and a 4% jump in his walk rate. A pure athlete, Malik legged out eight triples, seven doubles, and also stole nine bags in the 54 games he appeared in. One ball left the yard, and he posted a 154 wRC+ and .417 wOBA on the heels of a .430 BABIP. Defensively he needed work with seven errors and only nine double plays turned.

This year hasn't been quite as smooth with Collymore getting a very late start to the year. His 2015 debut didn't come until late June and has only made 86 lackluster plate appearances. On the plus side, he's shown more power, setting a new career high with two home runs, and has continued to improve his eye at the plate. A .216/.326/.378 slash line isn't very encouraging though with two doubles, two triples, and three stolen bases. In the admittedly short sample size, he's already drawn 11 walks to 22 strike outs for a nearly four point jump in both walk rate and strike out rate. Now roaming the pastures of left field, Collymore has only committed one error in 20 games and has yet to register and assist.

As for the scouting report on Collymore, he's got average power to go with above average speed. He's improving his approach at the plate and crushes the ball when he connects with it. The power isn't of the over-the-fence variety just yet, but he can pepper the gaps and let his speed take over at present. He's been tabbed as a very coachable player which is something every organization covets. He's got a great physical ceiling and is a great lottery ticket for Milwaukee in exchange for a struggling veteran reliever. He just needs time, reps, and good health.